Stencil.



' other, and with their horizontal straightl edges alined one with the top and one with the bottom ot the stencil character with THOMAS C. HOUGH, OFvMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. p

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909. l

Application filed May o1, 1909. Serial No. 493,289A

To all :whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, THOMAS C. HoUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the Icounty of Hennepin and Siate ot Minnesota, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Stencils; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in rention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

My invention has yfor its obj ect to provide an improved stencil, and is particularly directed to the improvement of stencils that are made in strips pivotally connected at one end, and each provided with a multiplicity ot letters, numerals or other characters.

l`o the above ends, the invention consists ot the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

ltelerring to the drawings: Figure l is a plan view showing a stencil constructed in accordance with my invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary views illustrating the manner ot alining and spacing the stencil 'characters in respcctto previously printed letters or characters.

l'he stencil shown, isinade up of three thin sheet metal strips l provided with. 11uinerals or otherY characters, and pivotally connected by a rivet 2.

rl`he numeral 3 indicates a socalledcover ing strip, which like the strips l, is formed i'rom thin sheet metal, but is much narrower. At one end this strip 3 is provided with an oll'set end portion t, that is pivotally connected by the rivet 2 to the stencil strips l. 'lhe purpose orl this covering strip 3 will hereinafter appear. 'i

lach stencil strip 1 in one edge, is provided with a multiplicity of so-called gage perlforatious lhese gage perforations 5 are approximately right triangles, but their hyiliotenuse or long sides are formed by concave curves. Furthermore, the said perforations are arranged in pairs with their longitudinal straight edges alined with each that when applied to a previously printed letter or character, as shownin Figs. Zand 3, the character next tobe printed or stenciled will vbe properly alineduwith and properly spaced apart from the said previously printed character. For instance, when the stencil strip is properly positioned-for the stenciling of a character in respect,to the letter luf. the ends ot the upper and lower arms of the said letter will appear throu h the said gage perforations 5, and the straig it sides of said perforations will be alined with straight right angle portions of said letter.

In Fig. 3, the stenciling strip is shown as positioned in respect to a previously printed letter P, and in this instance, as well as in other instances where the letter or character has a rounded right handedge portion, at least one of the gage perforations 5 will be positioned with its curved long side or hypotenuse in registration with the curved portion of the said letter.

`When the stencil is positioned as shown i Fig. 2, no harm would be done even if the stencil brush should be rubbed over the gage Aperforations 5, because as is evident, portions o`f the previously stenciled letter underlie the said perforations. When however, the stencil is positioned as shown in Fig. 3, the stencil brush must not be passed over the perforations 5, and hence, at this time, the covering strip 3 should be turned over the said perforations 5 to protect the saine from the stencil brush when the latter is used to stencil the properly positioned stencil character. With the olt'set portion t, at the pivoted end of the covering strip 3, it is possible to use the said covering strip in connection with any one of the several pivotally connected stencil strips.

The stencil illustrated, is shown as provided cliietly with numerals, but it is, of

course, evident that the strips may be provided with letters or with any other desired characters.

that I claim is:

l. A stencil strip provided with charac ters cut therein, and provided in one edge of said strip with angular gage perfor-ations horizontally alined with the upper and lower portions of said characters, and adapted for which they are associated. F urtherinore, 'A the said pairs of gage perforations areso' spaced troni the associated stencil characters,4

I use in connection With'previously stenciled characters to aline and space the character which isI to be stenciled. 2. A stencil strip provided with characters Icut therein, and provided in one edge With upper `and lower gage perforations alined with the upper and lower portions of Said characters, and which gage perforations are approximately triangular in forni, but with curved or concave long sides or hypotenuse, Substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The combination with a. stencil strip having characters cut therein, and provided in one edge with gage perforations associatedwith the said characters, and a covering strip pivotally connected to said. stencil sti-1p and adaptedv to be moved into a position to cover said gage perforations. f 4. A stencil comprising a vplurality of pivotally connected stencil strips, each having I a multiplicity ofcharacters cut therein and a multiplicity of gage perforationsl in one edge associated with said characters, and a covering` strip having` a laterally offset end" in presence of two witnesses.

, THOMAS (l. HOUGl-I.

Witnesses: f i

Homin' D. Kimmm, F. l). M nnoiiAN'r. 

